These are the 20 best-selling books of 2016 so far

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Flickr/Butz.2013
You can tell a lot about a person from their purchasing tendencies online: their interests, their hobbies, their plans, their concerns. Depending on what a person buys, you might assume they are preparing to have a child, or getting ready for a trip abroad, or looking to start a new exercise regime.

Thankfully, no one is snooping around your online receipts (that would be seriously creepy), but the same logic can be expanded to encompass the national psyche when analyzing the list of best-selling books on Amazon.

Below, we're taking a look at the 20 books that have sold more copies on Amazon than any other so far this calendar year.

If you read between the lines, you can catch some interesting glimpses of collective humanity hidden within the list. Some of us are getting ready to educate a newborn, others are preparing to send their child off to college. Some are looking to improve their eating habits, others are looking to improve their outlook, and others still are just looking to calm down a bit. And of course, all of us love Harry Potter.

Take a look through a see what you can glean about humanity, and maybe pick yourself up a book for some summer reading.

This article was originally published on 6/17/2016 and has been updated to reflect today's date, 8/25/2016.

1. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by Jack Thorne

Amazon

An extension of the Potterverse of J.K. Rowling that entrenched readers across the world over the course of Harry Potter's seven years at Hogwarts, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is the first official member of the series to be presented on stage. Fans who can't wait to see the play have shot the show's script to the top of the Amazon best-sellers list in 2016.

2. "StrengthsFinder 2.0" by Tom Rath

Amazon

Gallup published this print version of its successful online assessment meant to help readers uncover their talents. The book is filled with strategies on applying your strengths to your everyday life and changing the way you look at yourself for the better.

4. "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" by Marie Kondo

5. "First 100 Words" by Roger Priddy

Amazon

This collection of 100 words and pictures is meant to help introduce your newly made human to the English language. With sturdy pages and a soft cover, it's perfect for your little one to spend some time learning with.

6. "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi

Amazon

Paul Kalanithi offers readers a first-hand account of his transition from training as a neurosurgeon to being diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. Through his memoir, Kalanithi wrestles with some of the eternal questions of humanity: What makes life worth living in the face of death? How do you cope with your own demise as it happens in real time?

9. "How to Win Friends & Influence People" by Dale Carnegie

Amazon

One of the best-selling self-help books ever published, "How to Win Friends & Influence People" gives readers a glimpse of how to use other people's egotistical tendencies to their advantage. For anyone looking to climb the corporate ladder, give this one a place on your bookshelf next to "The Art of War."

14. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

Amazon

Harper Lee's classic will likely be on best-seller lists for years to come. The tale of Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, Scout, Jem, and the county of Maycomb is an essential part of the American literary canon.

11. "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol Dweck

Amazon

"Mindset" examines what makes people successful through the lenses of parenting, business, and more. Written by world-renowned Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, the book argues, among other things, that "praising intelligence and ability doesn't foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success."

13. "Official SAT Study Guide (2016 Edition)" by The College Board

Amazon

SAT test prep will always be a popular seller online, as year after year high school juniors across the country prepare for their exams as they look ahead to college. If you or someone in your life will be taking the SAT this fall, this could be a great service.

14. "Hamilton: The Revolution" by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter

Amazon

Sadly, many of us have still been unable to see "Hamilton." It's just how these things work. But if you're like me and haven't been able to get to Broadway just yet, this book offers a good window into the production. With the full text as well as footnotes from Miranda and photos from the show, this is a great coffee-table addition for any Hamilton fans.

16. "The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom" by Don Miguel Ruiz

Amazon

From the description: "In The Four Agreements, bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love."

16. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle

Amazon

Along with "Anansi the Spider," "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" was my favorite book as a small child, and it thrills me to see it on this list. As the caterpillar eats its way through the pages of the book, it grows less and less hungry until finally (spoiler alert) emerging as a beautiful butterfly.

19. "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Amazon

Ta-Nehisi Coates is one of the best writers in America today, contributing to The Atlantic in addition to his career in publishing. Written as a letter to his adolescent son, in "Between the World and Me" Coates examines the idea of race and how it manifests itself in American culture.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Business Insider's Insider Picks team. We aim to highlight products and services you might find interesting, and if you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners, including Amazon. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback.